The Fall of Dan
by 8belles
Summary: Post S4. Dan and Lucifer have a talk after he is nearly killed in a car crash. Can Dan be forgiven from his sins? Short shot. Yes, the pun in the title is intentional.


"DAN!" the scream of Maze cut through the grinding of metal as the car swerved and flipped over. Crunching glass with a dissonant chime reverberated just before everything went black.

* * *

He was standing next to his bed, looking at his bruised and swollen self, tied to machines. He felt that Maze was ok, in his heart of hearts but he had no idea if she was here at the hospital or somewhere else. In fact, he felt rather light and confused, not comfortable but not uncomfortable looking at himself lying in the bed. His befuddled thoughts turned back to how he got like this; they were just going out for a commiserating drink together and maybe a bit of rough fight club level type of stuff, not a car wreck. Damn that drunk driver who swung in front of him at the last minute.

With his dispassionate gaze, a flicker of Trixie flashed by causing him a sudden stab of pain but he couldn't quite place why. Was it the sedatives he was under?

Chloe was brought in to see him and he felt a catch of breath in his throat. She had red rimmed eyes and hair in disarray like she had been brought out from bed. Decker touched his hand tenderly and said some words. Dan felt like his head was underwater and he couldn't hear what she said but only that she was suffering.

"Hard of hearing, Detective Douche?" Dan heard that voice loud and clear.

With a hard turn he faced Lucifer in the corner of the room, which seemed to absorb light like a black hole. Morningstar's eyes glittered like polished black stones. A lit cigarette dangled from his fingertips.

"Is Maze ok? What are you doing here? Where have you been? What the hell is going on!?" Dan yelled at the Devil suddenly in a surprised outburst that welled up from him like a bubble to the surface of thick liquid.

Lucifer smiled ferally like a cat with a cornered mouse. "Maze is fine. You can't kill a demon with a simple car wreck. I gave my sister Azrael the day off, let's say. I think this trip is… personal."

Dan blinked as the cotton fog in his mind began to clear slightly and the gravity of the situation began to settle in him. His blue eyes widened in amazement. "Jesus… it is true… what Chloe was saying all the time. You were saying… you** are** the Devil." he said softly in astonishment.

"You know, Daniel, you should sometimes believe what you hear." Lucifer preened.

"Where have you been?" The tone was accusatory, not conciliatory.

Morningstar adjusted his posture slightly as if a small discomfort bothered him, and his gaze looked just past Dan to Chloe still mourning, expression softening for a flicker of a second. "I came here to talk to you. Thought I'd give you the VIP treatment instead of coach class."

"Am I going somewhere?" Espinoza's mind began to spin again, a feeling like being sucked down a drain.

"Apparently so or I'd wouldn't be here, would I?"

Dan stood there dumbstruck again and then looked at his body in the bed. With sigh he turned back to Lucifer, "I'm going to Hell."

"Bingo! Give this man a trophy!" Lucifer crowed throwing his hands up in congratulations. The cigarette ash fell to the floor.

"So, what was it?"

"What was what?" Lucifer stood up straighter, with a puzzled look, surprised Dan was not more upset.

"What did I do that got me here."

Lucifer took a breath to retort but paused, his brows furrowing in annoyance. Although he'd like to extend this visit to Earth just to see and be near Chloe longer, he could feel the fiery ropes of home tugging on him.

"Look Dan, I'm not Anubis. I'm not here to weigh your heart against a feather. You humans came up with that one- rather clever I may say." Lucifer explained, "But if I had to pin it one act, I'd say that hit you did with Maze definitely sealed the deal."

"But he was guilty!" Dan fired up his engines of anger, every muscle fiber vibrating.

Lucifer crossed the room in three aggressive strides and was in Dan's face, teeth bared like a wolf, "But it's not your _duty to punish_."

Dan swallowed but didn't flinch, staring the Devil in the eye, inches from his nose.

Both men stopped when they heard her voice.

"Dan. Dan. It's Chloe." She sniffed lightly and wiped her eyes on the back of her sleeve. "Dan, you gotta fight this. You can't leave me here alone. I can't raise Trixie without you. You're her dad! You gotta fight this." Decker swallowed a sob. "I didn't have a dad later on and it hurts so much. I miss him. Trixie needs her dad. Stay with us."

Dan turned to look at his ex-wife with sympathy and sorrow. Chloe's pleas struck a chord that resonated with a wish, a desire to stay alive; to be there for his daughter as she grew up. Knowing now who he was talking to, he didn't know if he had that choice anymore.

Lucifer saw the radiant light of his father's creation which drew him in like a moth to a flame. He stayed absolutely still by sheer will instead of reaching out to touch her hair, her face, to hold her close to him and bathe in her grace. He felt his wings itching under his skin.

Dan looked back at the Devil, unrepentant. "So? Do I get to stay?"

Lucifer pulled back, his face a mask, unreadable. Tugging at his cufflinks, he smoothed his impeccable jacket as if he had just been in a small quarrel. "She makes a good case, doesn't she?"

"I think so." Dan agreed philosophically. "I spent a lot of time during our marriage talking to her about why she became a cop because her dad was not part of her life growing up."

Lucifer looked longingly at the back of Chloe's head. Despite himself, his face showed what he was thinking; he missed her terribly.

"So now imagine how Trixie will feel when I'm gone." Dan added, analyzing Lucifer's face and mistaking fatherly concern for his love for Chloe.

Like a snake regarding prey, Morningstar glared at Dan, mostly ashamed for revealing any inward thoughts that Espinoza could have perceived. "Alright. I will grant you a stay of execution."

"What are you? The tooth fairy?"

Lucifer ignored the comment, "Trixie means a lot to Chloe and I want them happy. If that involves you having to make more mistake and incriminate yourself further, fine. I am a patient Devil." Dan opened his mouth to argue but Lucifer shut him up with a word. "Charlotte?"

The color returned to Dan's face. "What about her?" he growled.

"Well, I know where she is and it's not with me."

"So, I have to go to confession or something?" his tone was sardonic.

Lucifer got closer again, eyes flinty then flashing red, "No. You need to leave the punishment to me."

Dan suddenly felt his innards quake in fear. "Ok." he whispered.

"Good! We have an understanding." Lucifer turned and walked away to his corner. Dan blinked and he was gone.

* * *

Suddenly, it was warm and dark. He heard a little girl's voice calling. Cracking his eyes, he saw his little monkey and for a second, he thought he saw a shadow over her with red eyes. It was a message and it was understood; second chances should not be wasted, and redemption was possible for even him.


End file.
